Dispenser for liquid and semiliquid materials



H. K. STEINER Nova 16, 1965 DISPENSER FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1965 l' i laf/i H. K. STEINER Nov. 16, 1965 DISPENSER FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS Filed Nov. 15, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm H m 552-020 1E7! ileum HUN! United States Patent 3,217,932 DISPENSER FOR LIQUID AND SEMI- LIQUID MATERIALS Harold Karl Steiner, 3015 S. Herman St., Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Nov. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 323,330 Claims. (Cl. 22295) This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing either liquid or semi-liquid materials, and has more particular reference to dispensing apparatus which is ideally suited for the application of so called threadline mortar to concrete building blocks and the like during the construction of masonry walls.

Threadline mortar is an epoxy-type cement having liquid latex and masonry cement admixed therewith. It is superior to ordinary mortar in that it produces a far better bond with but a small fraction of the amount of conventional mortar needed in the joints between such masonry units as concrete blocks.

Despite its superior bonding qualities, threadline mortar has not come into widespread use. The high cost of using it has been the main deterrent to its acceptance by the manonry trade as a more satisfactory bonding medium than substantially inexpensive ordinary mortar. However, there has been an appreciation that much of the additional expense attending the use of threadline mortar could be offset by substantial savings in time and labor, and particularly by economic and efficient application of threadline mortar to the surfaces of the building blocks.

These savings in time, labor and bonding material necessary to justify the use of threadline mortar have been unattainable in the past, primarily because of the difficulty of applying no more than necessary of the epoxy bonding agent to the surfaces of building blocks, and without wasting valuable time in doing so.

This particular problem is solved by this invention, which accordingly has for its purpose the provision of a dispenser capable of holding a supply of epoxy mortar, and from which the mortar can be rapidly and accurately dispensed onto the surfaces of building blocks in the most economic fashion.

More specifically, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a dispenser of the character described, by which liquid and/ or semi-liquid materials like epoxy mortar can be extruded through a valve controlled discharge nozzle in consequence of the force which a self contained pressure source on the dispenser exerts thereon.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a dispenser of the character described featuring a cylinder to hold a supply of the material to be dispensed, and wherein the pressure source comprises a receptacle connected with the cylinder and containing a Freon-type propellant medium, the force of which is indirectly imposed upon the material to be dispensed through a piston in the cylinder.

Still another purpose of this invention is to provide a dispenser of the character described which is substantially simple in construction and easy to clean and service.

In this connection, it is a further purpose of this invention to provide a dispenser of the character described which is adapted to dispense liquid and/ or semi-liquid materials from fluid-tight flexible bags that can be readily loaded into the dispenser cylinder, and which help keep the dispenser clean.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view depicting the manner in which the dispenser of this invention is used to apply epoxy mortar to building blocks;

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the components of the dispenser partly in plan and partly in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the dispenser body showing an aerosol type pressure container in place thereon;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the discharge valve mechanism, taken on the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG- URE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the valve mechanism shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designates the elongated hollow body of the dispenser of this invention. The body provides a cylinder having a frusto-conica'l wall 6 at its front, terminating in an internally threaded collar 7 that defines a reduced discharge opening 8 at the forward end of the cylinder. The rear end of the cylinder provides a charging opening 9, through which material to be dis pensed may be loaded into the cylinder. A manually controllable valve generally designated 11 is connected with the collar 7 at the front of the body to govern egress of material from the cylinder via its discharge opening 8.

The side wall 13 of the cylinder, rearwardly of its frusto-conical front portion 6, is of uniform diameter both internally and externally of the cylinder, except for a collar-like enlargement 14 on its exterior. This collarlike enlargement is spaced a short distance forwardly of the rear extremity of the cylinder, so that the latter provides a sealing rim 15 which enables the establishment of a fluid tight connection between the cylinder and a cap 16 that closes the charging opening in the rear of the cylinder.

The cap 16 has a cylindrical front wall portion 17 that is telescoped over the rear of the cylinder and the collarlike enlargement 14 thereon. Its axial position on the cylinder is defined by the engagement of an internal circumferential shoulder 18 with the rear of the collar-like enlargement 14, and the shoulder snugly embraces the exterior of the rim 15 and carries an annular sealing ring 19 by which a fluid tight connection is established between the cap and cylinder.

The cap is readily detachably secured to the rear of the cylinder by a bayonet joint comprising circumferentially spaced lugs 20 on the exterior of the collar-like enlargement, which engage behind cooperating lugs 21 on the cap, projecting radially inwardly from the recess 22 in which the cylinder carried lugs engage. The spaces between the cap lugs 21, of course, define entrances 23 wide enough to receive the cylinder carried lugs 20 during securement to and/or removal of the cap from the cylinder.

At its interior, the cap is provided with a rearwardly convex or dome shaped closure wall 24 that in effect provides a rear end wall for the cylinder, located closely adjacent to the rear extremity thereof when the cap is in place on the cylinder. The closure wall also provides for securement to the cap of a self contained pressure vessel 25, and for this purpose, it has a coupling 26 affixed to its center portion as by welding or the like.

The coupling has a bore therethrough in which a small diameter hollow pin 28 is press fit. This pin is preferably of the type referred to as a roll pin, and it is formed to a have a narrow slit 29 along its entire length. The pin is adapted to afford communication between the interior of the pressure vessel and the rear of the cylinder, and for this purpose it must, of course, project through the closure wall 24 on the cap to have its forward end open into the rear of the cylinder.

The rear end of the pin projects into an internally threaded counterbore 31 in the coupling, and axially through a resilient sealing washer 32 that is seated in the bottom of the counterbore. This counterbore opens to the rear of the coupling through a widely flared mouth 33 which facilitates insertion of the threaded neck 34 of the pressure vessel into the counterbore for engagement with the threads thereof. As seen best in FIGURE 3, the neck of the vessel is screwed into the counterbore until it seats tightly against the resilient washer 32, to thus provide a fluid tight connection between the vessel and the cap. In the attached position of the vessel seen in FIGURE 3, the hollow pin 28 projects a distance into the neck 34 of the pressure vessel to communicate with the interior thereof.

The pressure vessel contains a highly volatile liquid aerosol type propellant medium such as Freon, that vaporizes at substantially low temperatures. Actually, the vessel comprises what has now become known as an aerosol can which is conventionally provided with the threaded neck 34 heretofore referred to, along with a normally closed valve 35 inside the neck, which is held unseated by the pin 28 when the can is in place on the cap, as indicated in FIGURE 3.

The aerosol can provides a unique and highly desirable self contained pressure source which is ideally suited for the dispenser of this invention since it enhances its portability, and also alfords a source of pressure of a desired value that remains constant until all of the liquid in the can has been vaporized.

The cap 16 is formed to provide a housing in which a substantial portion of the aerosol can is received to be protected thereby. For this purpose, the side wall of the cap is extended rearwardly to and merges with a substantially semi-spherical back portion 37 having a central hole 38 therein through which the aerosol can is readily insertable and removable. The housing provided by the cap, however, is of such axial length that is leaves a bottom portion of the aerosol can exposed and accessible, as seen in FIGURE 1, so that it can be readily unscrewed from the coupling and replaced with a filled can whenever necessary.

Also, to facilitate attachment and detachment of the cap, it will be noted that its side wall is provided with a hole 40 into which a thumb may be inserted to obtain the leverage needed in turning the cap the amount necessary to engage or disengage the bayonet joint between it and the cylinder.

Though the liquid and/or semi-liquid product to be dispensed, which includes epoxy mortar, can be charged directly into the cylinder through its rear when the cap is detached therefrom, it is a feature of this invention that the dispenser is designed to accept flexible fluid tight bags of suitable plastic material or the like, in which the product may be packaged and stored wherever convenient, for use in the dispenser as required. Such a bag is indicated at 42 in FIGURE 3.

The bags are made slightly shorter than the length of the cylinder, to leave room for insertion of a piston 44 into the rear of the cylinder, behind a bag loaded thereinto. The piston has an annular side wall 45 of a size to snugly but slidably fit the interior of the piston, and it has a more or less conical nose 46 which corresponds in taper to that of the frusto-conical front portion 6 of the cylinder. The side wall of the piston is also grooved to receive a pair of O-ring seals 47, which bear against the inner wall surfaces of the cylinder to provide a fluid tight seal between the piston and cylinder.

The piston also has a handle 48 thereon to facilitate its removal from and insertion into the cylinder. This handle comprises a bar that extends diametrically across the rear end of the piston and has its ends welded to the annular side wall thereof. As seen best in FIGURE 2, the piston also has a small vent 50 in its conical front portion, provided by a small nipple afiixed to the inside of the piston and having a removable cap 51 on its inner end. This cap is removed When the piston is inserted into the rear of the cylinder to enable air in the cylinder behind the bag to flow rearwardly through the piston and thus preclude entrapment of air in the space between the bag and the piston. The cap 51 is replaced once the piston has been suitably engaged with the rear of the bag.

Gaseous fluid under pressure is transmitted from the aerosol can 25 to the space in the cylinder behind the piston 44 through the hollow pin 28, where the fluid acts upon the piston to force it forwardly in the cylinder and against the rear of the bag therein, as seen best in FIG- URE 3. When the front of the bag is forced into the frusto-conical front portion of the cylinder, it comes into contact with a sharp toothed bag piercing element 53 that is fixed to a bushing 54 threaded into the collar 7 on the cylinder. The teeth of the piercing element puncture the bag at a location within the discharge opening 8, so that upon continued forward motion of the piston, the packaged product will be expelled from the bag for flow through the discharge opening to the valve mechanism 11.

The valve mechanism 11 can be of any suitable type that is readily manually controllable, but has here been shown as a gun type valve having a barrel 55 with a nozzle 56 at one end of the barrel from which the product is dispensed. A nipple 57 having one end threaded into the bushing 54 and its other end threaded into the side of the barrel 55 communicates the cylinder with an inlet chamber 58 in the barrel, defined by the space between a valve seat 59 that faces rearwardly away from the nozzle, and the forward end of a cylinder 60 that contains a compression type valve biasing spring 61.

The cylinder 60 is detachably held in place in the barrel by a bayonet joint connection generally designated 62 in FIGURE 5, and it carries fore and aft bushings 63 and 64 respectively that serve as sliding bearings for an elongated valve rod 65. A ball valve 66 fixed on the front end of the rod is yieldingly held in engagement with the valve seat 59 by the spring 61.

A trigger 68 located beneath the barrel projects forwardly through a bifurcated pistol grip 69 attached to the underside of the barrel near its rear to effect openmg of the valve 66 when the trigger is depressed. The tr1gger is pivotally suspended by spaced parallel links '70 from a pin 71 carried by an arm 72 on the rear of the barrel, at its top; and the valve rod passes rearwardly out of the bushing 64 and between the links to terminate in a loop 73. The underside of this loop normally engages in shallow notches 74 in the rear edges of the links 76 when the plane of the loop is crosswise of the long dimension of the links.

With the construction described, the valve spring 61 not only pushes forwardly on the valve rod to hold the ball yieldingly engaged with its seat 59, but it also serves to bias the trigger upwardly to its position seen in solid lines in FIGURE 4. It accomplishes this dual purpose through the engagement of the loop 73 on the rear of the valve rod with the rear edges of the trigger links, at locatrons below the trigger pivot 71.

The construction described also provides a valve mechanism which is not only protected against fouling by material being dispensed, but also quickly enables removal of the valve cylinder 60, the valve rod and its spring, as a unit, entirely without the aid of tools. This is accomplished by rotating the loop 73 one quarter of a turn to align its plane with the space between the trigger links 60, whereupon the trigger can be swung in the clockwise direction about its pivot, with reference to FIGURE 4, to

the top of the barrel. Thereafter, the cylinder is rotated relative to the barrel, by torque applied to a knurled finger piece 75 on its rear, to disengage its bayonet joint connection 62 with the rear of the barrel. When that connection is disrupted, the cylinder and valve can be pulled rearwardly out of the barrel to enable cleaning and/or inspection of the interior of the barrel.

It is also noteworthy that the valve spring exerts a rearward reaction force upon the cylinder 60, which force is utilized to maintain the bayonet joint connection 62 operative. This connection comprises a short pin 77 on the cylinder, extending radially outwardly from its rear portion into the circumferentially disposed leg of the bayonet slot 78 in the barrel, where it engages in a shallow notch 79 in the forwardly facing edge of the slot. Hence, the cylinder must be pushed into the barrel slightly, against the force of the valve spring, in order to disengage the pin 77 from its notch 79 and free the cylinder for rotation in the direction to align the pin 77 with the longitudinally disposed rearwardly opening entrance to the bayonet slot.

Another feature of the gun is that the inner end of the bushing 64 defines an adjustable stop which is engageable by a shoulder 81 on the valve rod to determine the extent to which the valve will be opened in consequence of depression of the trigger 68. This, of course, makes it possible to very accurately regulate the discharge of the product from the nozzle 56, to avoid waste of the product resulting from dispensing more than is needed. If desired, the rear bushing can be screwed into the rear of the cylinder far enough to engage the shoulder 81 on the valve rod, to thus lock the valve against accidental or unauthorized opening.

It will be apparent, of course, that the product is expelled from the cylinder and nozzle 56 only when the valve 66 is opened, although the aerosol can provides a source of constant pressure that at all times tends to move the piston forwardly in the cylinder. It will also be appreciated that when a suitable nozzle 56 is attached to the front of the barrel 55, the dispenser can be used for the spraying of paint or other liquids. In such use, the dispenser has the advantage of dispensing the paint or other liquid without admixture of propellant gas therewith, which in air compressor type sprayers heretofore used, resulted in uncontrolled and wasteful spraying of the paint due to the deflection of the air stream upon impingement thereof with the surface to be painted.

When the dispenser of this invention is used for the application of epoxy or threadline mortar to the surfaces of concrete blocks or other building units in the construction of masonry walls, a swivel block generally designated 83 is preferably mounted on the nozzle 56. This swivel block is freely rotatable about the axis of the nozzle, and it comprises a fiat side guide 84, and a nozzle protector 85. The side guide 84 is held flatwise against the sides of the concrete blocks, as shown in FIGURE 1, to assure accurate placement of the threadline 86 of epoxy mortar onto the surface of the blocks 87, while the nozzle protector 85 rides upon the surface of the blocks to which the mortar is being applied and holds the nozzle from wear producing engagement therewith.

It will also be appreciated that the characteristics of the liquid propellant medium in the aerosol can 25 can be varied to suit the type of product to be dispensed. For dispensing epoxy or threadline mortar, the liquid can be of types which makes available for dispensing purposes a pressure of about 70 to 80 pounds per square inch.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that this invention provides a dispenser which is ideally suited for dispensing or placing of epoxy mortar and other more liquid products, and which features a self contained pressure source that enhances the portability of the dispenser while maintaining a constant pressure on the product to be dispensed, entirely without the need for pressure regulating valves or the like. In addition, the non fouling characteristics of both the valve mechanism and the cylinder, in the latter case due to the provision of mean-s in the cylinder for accommodating flexible fluid tight bags containing the product to be dispensed, minimize the cleaning of the components following use of the apparatus.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for dispensing liquid and semi-liquid materials, comprising the combination of:

A. structure defining a cylinder to hold material to be dispensed, said cylinder having (1) an outlet at its front,

(2) and a wall closing its rear and having a small diameter hole therethrough lengthwise of the cylinder axis;

B. a piston in the cylinder movable forwardly away from said wall to expel material through said outlet;

C. valve means externally of the cylinder and receptively connected with the outlet to govern egress of material from the cylinder, said valve means having a discharge nozzle through which material is dispensed;

D. means on said wall for detach-ably securing a pressure vessel to the rear of the cylinder;

E. annular sealing means on the exterior of said wall, surrounding the hole therein, to s-ealingly engage the neck of a pressure vessel in place on the cylinder;

F. and a hollow pin in said hole extending through said wall and said sealing means so as to be insertable into the neck of a pressure vessel in consequence of securernent of the vessel to the cylinder, by which pressure fluid in the vessel can be transmitted into the cylinder rearwardly of the piston therein to move the piston forwardly away from the rear Wall of the cylinder.

2. Dispensing apparatus for liquid and semi-liquid materials, comprising the combination of:

A. a receptacle providing a cylinder having (1) a discharge opening at its front,

(2) and a charging opening at its rear through which material to be dispensed can be loaded into the cylinder;

B. a piston slidable forwardly in the cylinder to expel material ahead of it through said discharge opening, said piston having an imperforate forward face;

C. valve means at the exterior of the receptacle to receive material issuing from said discharge opening and to govern expulsion of material from the cylinder;

D. a cap detachably connected to the rear of the receptacle and having a wall extending over said charging opening to close the same;

E. a pressure source comprising means on the cap defining a vessel containing an aerosol type propellant medium, and having a forwardly facing outlet;

F. and means on the cap providing a duct extending into said outlet and forwardly into the rear of the cylinder, to conduct pressure fluid to the latter so as to maintain a force on the piston by which material in the cylinder can be expelled through it discharge opening under the control of said valve means.

3. Dispensing apparatus for liquid and semi-liquid materials, comprising the combination of A. a receptacle to hold material to be dispensed, said receptacle providing a cylinder having (1) a discharge opening at its front,

(2) and a charging opening at its rear;

B. a piston slidable forwardly in the cylinder to expel material to be dispensed through said discharge opening, said piston being removable through the charging opening to facilitate loading the cylinder with material to be dispensed;

C. valve means connected with said discharge opening to govern egress of material therethrough;

D. a closed flexible bag in the cylinder, ahead of the piston, containing material to be dispensed;

E. bag piercing means in the forward end of the cylinder operable in consequence of the exertion of pressure upon the closed bag by the piston to cut a discharge opening in the forward portion of the bag through which its contents can be expelled;

F. a cap detachably connected to the rear of the cylinder and closing its charging opening;

G. a self contained pressure source detachably carried by said cap at its exterior, and comprising a receptacle containing a highly volatile liquid that vaporizes at relatively low temperatures;

H. and duct means extending through the cap to the interior of the cylinder and to the interior of the receptacle to communicate the latter with the interior of the cylinder.

4. Apparatus for dispensing liquid and semi-liquid materials, comprising the combination of:

A. means providing a cylinder into which material to be dispensed can be charged, said cylinder having (1) a discharge opening at its front, (2) and a wall thereon closing its rear;

B. a piston slidable forwardly in the cylinder to expel material in the cylinder ahead of it through said discharge opening;

C. valve means connected with the cylinder to govern egress of material through said discharge opening;

D. a flexible bag in the cylinder, ahead of the piston,

containing material to be dispensed;

E. a bag piercing member in the cylinder, adjacent to its discharge opening, operable to cut an exit opening in the bag in consequence of the force which the piston exerts thereon during forward movement of the piston in the cylinder;

F. a self contained pressure source comprising a receptable containing an aerosol type propellant medium;

G. means on said rear wall holding the receptacle in place thereon;

H. and duct means communicating the interior of the pressure receptacle with the interior of the cylinder rearwardly of the piston therein, to thus enable the cylinder to be supplied with the vapor pressure necessary to propel the piston forwardly in the cylinder.

5. Apparatus for dispensing fluid materials, comprising the combination of:

A. structure defining a cylinder having a discharge opening at its forward end and a charging opening at its rear;

B. a piston in the cylinder movable forwardly therein to expel material through said discharge opening; C. valve means connected with the discharge opening to govern egress of material from the cylinder;

D. a cap detachably connected to the rear of the cylinder and having a wall closing said charging opening;

E. a coupling device on said wall having means to receive the neck of a pressure vessel and to hold the vessel in place on the cap;

F. a tube extending through the coupling device to conduct pressure fluid from a pressure vessel in place on the cap to the interior of the cylinder rearwardly of the piston therein;

G. wall means on the cap providing a housing adapted to encircle a pressure vessel in place on the cap;

H. cooperating means on the cap and the rear of the cylinder providing a readily separable bayonet joint connection between the cylinder and the cap;

I. and said wall means on the cap having a thumb hole therein to facilitate rotation of the cap in the directions necessary to render said bayonet joint connection either operative or inoperative.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,911,094 5/1933 Skoglund. 2,479,570 8/1949 Hayner et a1. 222-389 X 2,818,999 1/1958 Miller 222-389 X 2,925,937 2/1960 Schmidt et al 222-389 X LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A. STRUCTURE DEFINING A CYLINDER TO HOLD MATERIAL TO BE DISPENSED, SAID CYLINDER HAVING (1) AN OUTLET AT ITS FRONT, (2) AND A WALL CLOSING ITS REAR AND HAVING A SMALL DIAMETER HOLE THERETHROUGH LENGTHWISE OF THE CYLINDER AXIS; B. A PISTON IN THE CYLINDER MOVABLE FORWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID WALL TO EXPEL MATERIAL THROUGH SAID OUTLET; C. VALVE MEANS EXTERNALLY OF THE CYLINDER AND RECEPTIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE OUTLET TO GOVERN EGRESS OF MATERIAL FROM THE CYLINDER, SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING A DISCHARGE NOZZLE THROUGH WHICH MATERIAL IS DISPENSED; D. MEANS ON SAID WALL FOR DETACHABLY SECURING A PRESSURE VESSEL TO THE REAR OF THE CYLINDER; E. ANNULAR SEALING MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID WALL, SURROUNDING THE HOLE THEREIN, TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE THE NECK OF A PRESSURE VESSEL IN PLACE ON THE CYLINDER; F. AND A HOLLOW PIN IN SAID HOLE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID WALL AND SAID SEALING MEANS SO AS TO BE INSERTABLE INTO THE NECK OF A PRESSURE VESSEL IN CONSEQUENCE OF SECUREMENT OF THE VESSEL TO THE CYLINDER, BY WHICH PRESSURE FLUID IN THE VESSEL CAN BE TRANSMITTED INTO THE CYLINDER REARWARDLY OF THE PISTON THEREIN TO MOVE THE PISTON FORWARDLY AWAY FROM THE REAR WALL OF THE CYLINDER. 